Navy veterans who served in Vietnam often must prove that their ships entered territorial waters in order to receive Agent Orange benefits. It wasn’t always that way. The first article tells the story of several vets facing the challenge. The second highlights the history of how the process got to this point.

I served on active duty in the Navy from 1968 to 1972. I was assigned to Basic Training at RTC Great Lakes from Feb. 1968 to May 1968 and was assigned to Aviation Electricians Mate “A” School at NAS Jacksonville Florida from June 1968 to Oct.1968. After “A” school, I remained at NAS Jacksonville until Oct. 1969. During this time I worked on the flight line repairing electrical systems on NAS based aircraft. Work also included transient aircraft. My next orders took me to NAS Oceania Virginia, Attack Squadron …

When Mary Warner’s husband became too sick to care for himself, she took early retirement and a reduced pension to attend to his needs. It was a significant financial risk. The Warners thought they could squeak by, given Philip’s Agent Orange stipend and the promise that Mary could count on VA survivor benefits if something happened to her husband.

They were wrong.

Soon after Philip died of kidney failure in September 2011, VA decided the Vietnam War …

The IMF has long been a resource for veterans seeking information about myeloma – like Jerry Walton (pictured), a 33-year Navy veteran who founded the Southeastern Virginia Multiple Myeloma Support Group. Now that effort expands with the launch of the IMF’s new Veterans Against Myeloma (VAM) website. The site provides links to relevant Veterans Administration information, to state veterans assistance offices and to national veterans service organizations. Email alerts will notify VAM readers about breaking news and articles of interest.

Mario Portillo learned early that being a Navy corpsman meant more than just tending to the sick and the wounded. He was a psychologist, a parent, a marriage counselor, a friend.

He loved every one of those roles.

But 24 years of witnessing death and suffering ultimately proved too much. Anxiety, depression and bouts of rage landed him in the hospital three times and left him with migraines and post-traumatic stress disorder.